Improved



s.-D'.CARPBNTER. MAGNETIC GAR BRAKE.

No. 19,132i y Patented Jan. 19,1858.

UNITED STATES ATENTA EEicE.

S. D. CARPENTER, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN.

Speciication forming part of Letters Patent N0. 19,132, dated January 19, 1858.

To all `whom lt may concern:

Beit known thatvI,./S. D. CARPENTER, of"

Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Yiisronsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Magnetic Oar-Brakes; and I de hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the 'same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specication, in which--e Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of abrake with my iniliroveinentapplied to it. ma, Fig. 2, shows the plane of section. Fig. 2 is an ininverted plan of the same.,

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention consists in attaching two electro-magnets to the shoe-bz1rs of each pair of wheels, one to each bar, as hereinafter shown, whereby the power will be applied in the most direct manner, and the whole arrangement rendered extremely simple and efiicncions.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to vdescribe it.

A A represent a pair of wheels of a cartiuek. B is the axle.

C C nre 'two shoe-bars, which are placed at opposite sides of the wheels, and are each provided with a shoe, D,at each end. :From this description it will be seen that each Wheel, when the brakes are applied, is acted upon by two shoes, I).

The shoe-bars (J C may he suspended in the usual-way, or the upper ends of the shoes D l) of each wheel may be connected by ajoint, a, and attached to the upper part of the truck C, as shown clearly in Fig. l.

To the center of each shoe-bar C an electromagnet, F, of horseshoe form is attached. rlhese magnets are connected with the shoebars by means ofa lilik, 11, and screw-bolt, c, thel latter passing through the bars, and having a nut, d, on their outer ends. (See Figsl and 2. The nmgnets are also attached to pendent springs G G, the upper ends being attached to the upper part ot' truck F. The springs G Garemerely flat steel strips sufliciently elastic to allow the magnets, when the circuit is closed, to meet so as to applyl the brakes or press the shoesl) against the treads of the wheels. The

springs at the same time have sufiicient elasticity to throw back the magnets when the circuit is open or broken.

The wires c of the magnets are connected with a battery placed on the locomotive at any convenient spot, so that the circuit may be readily opened'and closed. `Vhen the circuit is closed the inner ends ofthe two magnets will approach each other and. meet, the shoes D bythis movement being pressed against the peripheries or treads of the wheels, and producing the necessary friction to stop the cars.

The pressure ot' the shoes D may be regulated as desired by adjusting the magnets in this Wise; by turning the nuts c it will be seen that a greater or less distance may be made between the inner ends of the magnets. When this distance is small the pressure of the shoes against the wheels will be slight; when the distance is greater the pressure, of course, will be greater, for the inner ends ofthe magnets will meet if the distance be not too great, and consequently the pressure must be increased.

This arrangement, it will be seen, is very simple, and the power is applied in a very direct manner, levers, clutches, and various other devices frequently employed being dispensed with.. Theefticney 'ofthe brake is also augmented in consequence of having two shoes to each wheel.4

Although two electro-magnets are herein shown and described, still one only may be used, a magnet being attached to one shoe-bar and an armature to the other. I prefer, however, to use two, one to each shoe-bar, as shown and described.

I am aware that car-brakes have been operated by electro-magnets connected with proper batteries and arranged in various ways, but I am not aware that magnets have been npplied directly to the shoe-bars, as herein shown, so that the magnets are rendered capable of adjustment and the pressure of the shoes allowed to be graduated thereby.

I do not claim, therefore, broadly and irrespective of the arrangement'herein shown, the application of electromagnets to ear-brakes for operating the same; but

Having' thus described my invention, what I claim as new, nml desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The employment or use-of electro-magnets, one ormore, attached directly to the bars C :unl springs G Gr, for the purpose set forth.

2. 'The purtieulnr mnnner of attaching the magnets to the shoebnrs, viz., by means of the links I uml screw-bolts c, substantially as shown7 whereby the magnets may be adjusted for the purpose of graduating the pressure ot' the shoes upon the Wheels when the circuit is closed.

S. D. CARPENTER.

Witnesses:

W. TUsCH, J. W. CooMBs. 

